The Pros And Cons Of State Prisons

According to the book, State and Local Government, “2.3 million people are confined to state prisons and local jails in the United States” (Bowman and Kearney 459). Also prisons have grown 4 percent over the years. However, “prisons continue to operate beyond official capacity in many states, despite the construction of numerous new facilities to reduce the problems of prison overcrowding and its accompanying conditions of poor sanitation, inadequate health care, and high levels of violence” (Bowman and Kearney 459). There are three factors to the reason behind high imprisonment rates such as harsh sentences, public opinions, and drug enforcement penalties. But most are concerned by who should pay, how much is the public responsible to help pay, and how much should

So in order for the states to pay for these expenses, they have been taking money from other state expenditures such as highways, social services, and education. In New Jersey, the state pays for most of their offenders especially on violent and repeated ones who still pose an immediate danger to society if they were to be released. However, in some states, prisons pay for drug related offenders such as paying for substance abuse counseling and supervision. But most prisons do not pay for the inmates especially for offenders that are older or no longer pose a threat to society (Bowman and Kearney). Over the past ten or so years, prison rates have risen 127 percent and currently cost an estimate of $44 billion a year (Bowman and Kearney). According to the website, “Budget Solutions”, Americans are putting forward a lot of money towards prions because it cost about $18,000 - $50,000 per inmate a year ("The Case for Reform: Prisons"). According to the article, “Policy Basics: Where Do Our State Tax Dollars Go?” five percent, or $50 billion, of states budgets goes towards prisons (“Center on Budget and Policy